OP Jaisha tests positive for H1N1, hospitalised

Jaisha had arrived in Bengaluru with fever and body ache. She has been hospitalised in Bengaluru

OP Jaisha, who recently competed in the women’s marathon in Rio Olympics, has been hospitalised after she was tested positive for H1N1.

Officials of the Sports Authority of India, according to media reports, said Jaisha, who arrived in Bengaluru with fever and body ache, has been hospitalised at the Fortis hospital at Bannerghatta.

An official said it was an “arduous task” for the SAI authorities to convince her to get her blood samples tested at the state-run Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD).

Jaisha, however, agreed to give her blood samples for testing on Thursday after the state health officials convinced her.

“It was an arduous task to convince Jaisha to get her blood samples tested at the virology institute. She ignored our counselling and moved out of the SAI premises on 21 August after applying for leave,” said SAI regional director Shyam Sunder.

Sunder added that instead of heading straight to her native state Kerala, Jaisha stayed in Bengaluru and until Thursday, she was not physically available to the health and SAI officials.

“Finally, after she was located on Thursday, state health officials visited her and convinced her to get her blood samples tested,” he said.

The results of the samples, sent to RGICD on Thursday, was submitted on Friday, which tested positive for H1N1, Sunder said.